The Sri Lankan chef shares her top local ingredients and why eating noodles at a small Peel Street canteen is a quintessential Hong Kong experience
As part of our series celebrating the vibrancy and community within Hong Kong’s dining scene, we spoke to several of the industry’s leading lights about why they love the city’s unique food culture. Here, Gisela Alesbrook – head chef at Sri Lankan restaurant Hotal Colombo—tells us about the ingredient that reminds her of both Hong Kong and Sri Lanka, and why one of her most memorable dishes comes from a small canteen on Peel Street.
Tell us about some of your favourite Hong Kong food moments.
There are a few dishes in Hong Kong that I love and never fail to remind me of what a diverse city I am living in. As many people know, I have a bit of a sweet tooth and some of my favourite baked goods include the pineapple buns from local bakeries here. Perfectly crispy on top, they are best served hot with a thick slice of butter almost melting to the bun and sticking to your fingers; the ones at Happy Cake Shop are a particular favourite.
I also love Hong Kong’s signature, super Instagrammable egg waffles that can be found almost anywhere in the city; Mammy Pancake is my regular go-to when I want to treat myself with the chocolate-filled ones!
But the one food moment that really stands out for me are the thick flat rice noodles with sliced beef from this small canteen called Good Companion on Peel Street. It’s takeaway only and you can basically see their whole kitchen from the counter. Their chef is usually dressed very casually, but don’t let that fool you; the beef is tender like it has been marinating the whole day, and the noodles are so soft and filling. It’s such a Hong Kong experience – something so delicious being made in such a small space.
See also: A Taste Of Home: Chef ArChan Chan's Favourite Food Spots In Hong Kong
